People and events of interest to the Salesian Family of the Eastern U.S., the blogger's homilies, and some of his apostolic and personal doings.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Pope Benedict Resigns; Salesians in Conclave

Pope Benedict Resigns

Salesian Cardinals to Participate in Conclave

This post has already been published in at least 2 places in an earlier version, so I guess I'd better post it myself, updated.

On Feb. 11 Pope Benedict XVI surprised
the world by announcing his resignation, effective Feb. 28. It was the first
papal resignation since 1415, when three men claimed to be Pope during the
Great Schism of Western Christianity (see http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13539a.htm) and all three were compelled to resign as the way to end
the schism; and the first freely chosen resignation since 1294, when Pope St.
Celestine V resigned on grounds of incapacity to carry out the papal office to
which he had been elected only five months earlier.

If there are no deaths before Feb. 28, there are 117 cardinals who will be under
age 80 when Peter's Chair is vacated at 8:00 p.m. Rome time (2:00 p.m. EST), and thus eligible to take part in the conclave that will elect the new
Pope. According to Catholic News Service (Feb. 18, 2013), 19 of these are members
of religious orders, and the Salesians have the largest number of religious cardinal-electors,
with four: Cardinals Tarcisio Bertone, 78, secretary of state of the Holy See
and camerlengo; Raffaele Farina, 79, prefect emeritus of the Vatican Archives and Library;
Angelo Amato, 74, prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes; and Oscar
Rodriguez Maradiaga, 70,
archbishop of Tegucigalpa.

One of the 117 cardinal-electors, however, will not make the journey to Rome. Cardinal Julius Darmaatmadja, SJ, archbishop emeritus of Djakarta, Indonesia, has informed the world that he is too ill to make the journey and take part.

On Feb. 25 another cardinal-elector bowed out. The already-tendered resignation Cardinal Keith O'Brien, archbishop of Edinburgh, who will turn 75 shortly, was accepted by the Holy Father, and he decided not to go to the conclave because of serious accusations leveled against him (which he sort of admitted to on Mar. 3) lest his presence be a distraction from the serious business in Rome. There are 3 Franciscan cardinal-electors, 1 Jesuit (besides Card. Darmaatmadia), and 10 other religious, including 2 of the American cardinals, Sean O'Malley (Capuchin) and Francis George (Oblate of Mary Immaculate).

Blogging for America, Fr. Thomas Reese, SJ, writes that the camerlengo “is the
most important official during the interregnum. . . . On the death of the pope,
the camerlengo takes charge of and administers the property and money of the
Holy See, with the help of three cardinal assistants chosen by lot from among
those cardinals under 80. During the interregnum he reports to the college of
cardinals, which governs the church until a pope is elected. He also organizes
the conclave. By appointing the cardinal secretary of state as the camerlengo,
Benedict simplified the organizational structure and made sure that his
secretary of state had an important role during the interregnum.”

Cardinal Bertone

Cardinal Bertone (see Salesian Bulletin Fall 2006) professed
vows as a Salesian in 1950 and was ordained in 1960. A canon lawyer, he has
been a professor at the Salesian Pontifical University, archbishop of Vercelli
and of Genoa, and secretary of the Congregation for Doctrine of the Faith under
then-Cardinal Ratzinger. John Paul II made him cardinal in 2003, and Pope
Benedict named him secretary of state in 2006.

Cardinal Farina

Cardinal Farina professed as a Salesian
in 1949 and was ordained in 1958. A church historian, he taught at and was
rector of the Salesian Pontifical University, and served in the Roman Curia
prior to becoming prefect of the Vatican Library in 1997, then archivist of the Vatican Secret Archives in 2007. Pope Benedict made him cardinal in 2007. He
retired in 2012.

Cardinal Amato with Mother Reungoat

Cardinal Amato professed as a Salesian and 1956 and was
ordained in 1967. He was professor of dogmatic theology and dean of the school
of theology of the Salesian Pontifical University, as well
as a prolific writer before succeeding then-Abp. Bertone as secretary of the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 2002, under then-Cardinal
Ratzinger. In 2008 he became prefect of the Congregation of Saints’ Causes.
Pope Benedict made him cardinal in 2010.

Cardinal Rodriguez ordaining Fr. Manny Gallo

Cardinal Rodriguez professed as a
Salesian in 1961 and was ordained in 1970. He was both a high school teacher
and a professor of theology before becoming bishop in 1978 and serving as
general secretary of the Latin American Bishops Conference (CELAM) and other
posts at CELAM and in his native Honduras. In 1993 he became archbishop of
Tegucigalpa and in 2001 the first cardinal from his country. Since 2007 he has
been president of Caritas International, the Church’s worldwide relief
organization. He has been a prominent spokesman on social justice issues such
as Third World debt. He loves to play music, can pilot a small plane, speaks seven
languages, and enjoys meeting and speaking with young people. He has presided
over several priestly ordinations in the U.S.

Two other Salesian cardinals are beyond
the age of 80 and not eligible to take part in the conclave: Cardinals Miguel Obando Bravo, archbishop emeritus of
Managua, and Joseph Zen Ze-kiun bishop emeritus of Hong Kong.

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About Me

Member of Salesians of Don Bosco since 1966. As of July 2016, parish priest in Champaign, Ill., and director of the SDB community there. Priest since 1978. Teaching and administrative experience in Boston, metro N.Y.C. area, New Orleans, and Tampa; since 1986 stationed mainly at SDB provincial HQ as editor, general manager of book publishing, and PR officer. Boy Scout chaplain since 1995.